When I was in college, a girlfriend and I would splurge once a week on biscotti. I think the actual biscotti cost approximately $2 + the requisite Diet Pepsi, yet it was still quite indulgent on a student’s budget. I remember growing so excited for these biscotti dates, partly for the girl talk but also for the luxury of enjoying such a sophisticated treat (the biscotti, not the Diet Pepsi…I’m not sure why I didn’t get coffee then?). We’d both studied abroad at this point and perhaps felt utterly European nibbling on biscotti after class on Thursday afternoons. Regardless of the legitimacy of our presumptions, I still relish the opportunity to indulge in these crunchy, sweet treats. I still feel just a little fancier on random afternoons snacking on a biscotti rather than other mundane treats…and that is enough reason for me to keep making this sweet, white chocolatey, and a tiny bit tart variety.
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
- 1½ cups whole-wheat flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1¼ cups sugar
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ tablespoon pure almond extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon extract
- 1 cup whole almonds
- 9 ounces white baking chocolate
- ½ tablespoon shortening
- Combine flours and baking powder. Beat butter, sugar, honey, lemon zest, and salt with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla, almond, and one tablespoon of the lemon extracts. Working in batches, add flour mixture to butter mixture, scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Fold in almonds with a rubber spatula. Wrap dough in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about one hour.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Transfer dough to a floured surface. Divide dough in half, and roll each half into a 2-by-15-inch log. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Transfer baking sheet to oven. Bake until logs are slightly firm and pale golden, about 35 minutes. Remove logs from oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees. Let logs stand until cool enough to handle. Transfer to a cutting board. Cut logs on the bias into ½-inch-thick slices, returning to baking sheet, flat side down, as you work. Bake for 15 minutes, remove and flip, and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Let cool on sheet.
- Create double boiler using a heat-proof bowl and sauce pan filled with two inches of water. Chop white baking chocolate and place in heat-proof bowl along with shortening and remaining tablespoon of lemon extract. Place bowl in sauce pan and simmer water. Stir chocolate mixture frequently until melted. Remove from heat.
- Dip one side of biscotti in chocolate mixture until coated. Place chocolate side up on cookie sheet. Continue coating biscotti until all are coated and on cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet in refrigerator until chocolate coating is firm.
This recipe is primarily based off of this Whole-Wheat Lemon Biscotti recipe with a few modifications.
